Nikko

There is no easy way to get to Nikko from nested among mountains Takayama. It's a six-hour ride on trains with a few changes in cities I have been to. The other option is to take a bus to Matsumoto first, and then continue the journey on trains. Same six-hour ride, but one new city to see and no repeats.

Express from Matsumoto to Nagano.

Turning left. Always find myself wanting to straighten the horizon in pics like this, but then brain says my hands can't be so terrible at shooting pics. We are turning left for real.

Tiny cemetery.

Transfer to shinkansen. Green sign is easy to spot.

Plenty of different locomotives to see. Just need to find a way to clearly capture moving trains.

Platforms.

A nice electric cable between cars. Car #6 requires a reservation in advance. Arrow sign is precisely pointing at the door.

Boarding queue.

Next transfer is at Omiya station.

Car's interior.

There is a toilet.

Next transfer is at Utsunomiya station. It's obvious that it's Nikko direction.

Platform. Departure time is still my favorite way to clearly distinguish trains.

Combination lock.

Suburban train. Japan is nippon (as on ad) or nihon in Japanese. Usually nihon. There is so little space for a driver.

You can come up and watch the movement.

We have arrived.

Confirmation.

If you need to charge your transport card, you can put it into terminal right away. There is also an option to print the history of your expenses. There are nice buttons to the left of the display for the number of persons you most likely need tickets for.

Finally, it is time to go out and see Nikko. Some bus routes have stops at many hotels, so there is a big chance that you can get to the entrance of the one you need. So convenient!

Phonebooth.

Traffic guards are on the streets because some festival is going on right now.

Dinner. Soup and rice didn't fit on the tray.

Dishes are made with bare hands. After your order is taken, you get a jug of cold water. Or at least glass. There is a dish called ramen. It feels like it combines salad, soup and main course in one plate. You get a spoon for soup and chopsticks for everything else. It's totally okay to slurp. Also, there are no tips—you'll get all the change to the last coin.

Breakfast. Rice didn't fit once again.

Expanding the flags collection.

Parking.

Wall of stones.

Bus stop.

There is a schedule on its back.

Bamboo.

Nikko streets.

Trashcan. It's also an ashtray.

Bridge and view from it.

Stone park.

Looks like I have a flair for finding interesting places while wandering. Sign on the way back said it's kind of an abyss.

Nice place for a halt.

Buddies in red.

There are many of them, but it seems like one is already blown away.

Way back.

Apparently, we are asked not to go here.

Wood stock. Yeah, without central heating you need a way to survive winter.

Here is the sign.

Sceneries around.

Skyline in a home environment.

Parking with a mountain view.

View from bottom to top.

View from top to bottom.

Bridge.

Maps for every taste.

Time to go to Tokyo. The train is already waiting.

Just two cars train. The first change is only a few stops away from here. Navigation app says the train we need to make a change for departures at the same minute as this one arrives. Less than a minute for a change! Is it real? Yes. In this case, you gonna see the next train on the opposite side of the platform with doors wide open waiting for you to get in. Most folks run for it, but it's really unnecessary. If there is two minutes change, then your next train should arrive to the adjacent track as well. No unreal options through navigation app.